Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Khulna

For one person, living is cheaper in Khulna: $341 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Khulna, Bangladesh
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Khulna
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$341
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Khulna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Khulna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $341 in Khulna, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Khulna $341

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $543 in Khulna, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Khulna $543

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $745 in Khulna, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Khulna $745

Chiang Mai costs about 175% more than Khulna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Khulna are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Khulna 75% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$1.43 ৳178
56.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$7.38 ৳915
157.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$4.13 ৳512
34.38%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.16 ৳267
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.33 ৳784
-
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$0.75 ৳92.9
122.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$0.27 ৳33.34
137.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$0.12 ৳14.94
158.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$0.71 ৳88.4
174.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.46
$0.44 ৳54.1
227.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.03
$0.57 ৳71.0
133.33%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$1.13 ৳140
101.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$9.89 ৳1,225
66.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$2.59 ৳321
7.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$6.43 ৳797
44.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$2.34 ৳291
0.43%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.79
$0.64 ৳78.7
51.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$2.17 ৳268
-26.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$0.61 ৳75.0
145.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.11
$0.30 ৳37.68
326.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.18
$0.55 ৳68.8
100.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$0.65 ৳80.6
9.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.36
$0.26 ৳32.03
88.46%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$8.28 ৳1,027
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.57 ৳319
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.96 ৳738
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$3.07 ৳380
34.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.9
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.30
$0.29 ৳36.06
200.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,825
$8.29 ৳1,027
552.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.04
$0.58 ৳71.7
100.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.18 ৳22.59
194.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.7
$2.79 ৳346
-13.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.88
$1.09 ৳135
33.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.5K
$22.2K ৳2.8M
-5.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.0K
$18.6K ৳2.3M
44.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$34.32 ৳4,253
81.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$6.19 ৳768
96.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$20.08 ৳2,489
0.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$13.65 ৳1,691
173.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$11.91 ৳1,476
-68.35%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$4.00 ৳496
62.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$15.89 ৳1,970
4532.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.2K
$1,341 ৳166.2K
1000.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$27.21 ৳3,372
96.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$36.97 ৳4,582
-33.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$32.18 ৳3,987
184.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,427
$33.74 ৳4,181
113.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$62.4 ৳7,730
673.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$39.43 ৳4,886
683.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$164 ৳20.3K
514.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$84.1 ৳10.4K
653.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Khulna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$145 ৳17.9K
307.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10
-44.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Khulna: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Khulna
$39 87.2% $269
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Khulna
$115 50.9% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Khulna
$59 46.1% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Khulna
$61 35.9% $34
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Khulna
$34 55.6% $43
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Khulna
$11 82.2% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Khulna
$22 56.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $62 in Khulna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $7 in Khulna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $115 – making Khulna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇩 Khulna
🕒 Local time
18:14 6:14 PM
17:14 5:14 PM
1 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
664,728
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Khulna 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Khulna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Chiang Mai vs Khulna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Khulna?
Chiang Mai costs about 175% more than Khulna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Khulna?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $511 in Khulna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Khulna?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Khulna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $62 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Khulna?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $15.89 in Khulna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Khulna?
Groceries cost about 104% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Khulna?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Khulna, where all-in costs run around $341, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Khulna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Khulna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Khulna?
If budget matters most, go with Khulna. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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